Telephone-switch.



7 Patented Jan. 8, mm. N. BASSETT.

TELEPHDNE SWITCH.

Appliqatiun filed May 3, 1900.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Modeln W W N No. 665,848. Patented Jan. 8, 39m. N. BASSETT.

TELEPHONE SWITCH [Application filed May 3, 1900.

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheei 2.

v 9 v (K v *1 Snow 0 60a,

il'iviren a Ni-l'lliAN BASSET'I, Oi PHILAL ELPEH A GLOBE 'lELEll TONE IlinNUFA-JILTUBE TELEPl-AD hi ii=$h iiiii r SPECIFICATION Iibrming part 02' Letters latent No. 665,234 dated 5: v Serial: 0. 15,388. iiio model.)

Application filed May 3. icon.

Be it known that I, NATH.1N 'fisssn'r'r, acitizen of the United States, residing at Phiiadelphia,in the county of Philadelphia a nd Stat-e of 5 Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switches;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements l electrical switches more especially designeo for telephones.

It has for its object more especially vide against the ac -idental or unint' itional leaving 0 l of the circuit by failure of the scorn or replace the switch-lever to al eosition or contact, as practiced in some forms of this class of appliances or apporatus, as often happens, or even Where a spring is used to restore the switch-lever to its initial or original position this objection is not Wholly overcome, since the spring is subjeet to relaxation, and consequently measurably loses its tension, and the switch-lever is liable to become clogged or stuck inthe sweep of its movement when released by the hand after use. .In addition to remedying c the aforesaid pointed out difficulties my invention is also positive and direct in its action. and is not involved in the arrangement of the many or numerous circuit or contact wires employed in devices of this kind. It is also adapted for throwing or bringing into circuits.- number or plurality of wire-contacts for use simultaneously to provide for speaking to a number of persons at one using of the telephone. It also provides for readily bringing into requisition the bell-circuit and to use the telephone-circuit contacts in connection with the bell-circuit. It also provides for utilizi gto the maximum the capacity of ins circuit maker and breaker, whereby a inultiplicity of circuit-contacts is arranged within a. proportionately or comparatively small space or compass. It also insures quiet: responsive action between the contacts of the various circuit-wires in closing the circuits and providufiior the ready throwing out circuit said contacts after using thetelephoi to prosir-pin the inauipulutim;

e tore bone or contact the using-.5 of While the rcceit the telephone; a. the ready throwing into more telephrmo-circni provide for oueor contacts by'thc o, to effect oznatically one iltijilnlliil zit br er, and of rts subst. disclosed. at claims.

in the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure l is a view in elevation, showing the same'as applied for use in connection with an ordinary telephone. Fig. 2 ion View with the cover of the inclosiugcase removed to disclose the switch structure. 2-3 is a cross-section. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the switch justeti fo he bell-circuit. Fig. 5 a like i w disci the position of the parts whe e receiver is hung upon the lever or hoe u liccircuitcloseror maker and breaker.

Latitude 'iere fter more fuiiy illy pointed out n3 the herein to details, as varied according to circumstances wi Dill] departing from the spirit of my invention and the same yet remain intact and be protected.

' In carrying out my invention I arrange in a suitable casing or closure 1, fastened upon the base of and opening through or into the telephone,the principal features of my switch.

The slide or bar 2, constituting the circuit 95 closer or maker and breaker, is suitably hung or pivoted to an end forked or furcated lever 3, with one end suitably pivoted, preferably, 1 as shown. The other or forked end of said lever projects through and beyond the casing l and is adapted to permit of the suspending thereon of the telephone-receiver when not i in use. The slide or bar 2 is preferably cushlease.

ioned or upheld in its normal position by the action of a spring 4, preferablyapplied thereto so as to restore or return said bar or slide to its initial position after depression and re- Brazed, soldered, or otherwise suitably secured to the bar or slide 2 in the direction of its length or longitudinal plane is a series or multiplicity of spring contacts or arms 5, preferably stamped up or made in a single piece of metal, as showxn In the present instance two series of contacts or arms are employed, extending from and merged into a central uprightportion 5 to provide for utilizing to the maximum the circuitforming capacity of the instrument.

Herein I improvise or utilize the usual binding-posts 6 of the telephone-circuit wires -15 as cont-acts, which may be ordinary screwbolts passed through lateral strips or boards 7, with interposed washers or plates 7? for engaging the spring-contacts 5 in making the telephone-circuits. The Washers 0r plates 7 are preferably rectangular, with lateral elongations 7 for such engagement, though it is obvious these may be circular or disk-like, as usual, and equally serve the purpose of contacts. The spring contacts or arms 5 are each deflected or bent, as at 5, at their free ends outward or so as to engage the inner or opposite surface of the telephone-wire contacts (presently described) after the forcing of said bent or free ends past said contacts and the withdrawal of pressure therefrom, as will more fully appear hereinafter. The angles or elbows of said bent end portions of the spring-contacts 5 are designed to engage the bell -contact- (described farther on) as they are manipulated to effect that purpose in ringing the bell at the distant end of theline or other telephone, also more clearly disclosed hcreinaft x Suitably secured r the inner end of the surface of the casing; or closure 1 directly opposite and contiguousiy to the free' or bent end portions of the spring-contacts carried by the circuit maker and breaker is a metal piece or plate 8, constituting the bell-con-- tact, suitably connected up in circuit by a wire with the distant end of the line or other telephone:

Preferably through a separate or removable piece or board 1) attached to the casing or closure 1, over an opening therein, are produced holes or'perforations 10, ranging in line with the s;.n-ing-coutacts 5 and adapted to permit of the insertion thereinto of the initial push-pin ill in establishing the circuit or circuits.

it will be observed that when the instrumentor telephone is not being used-i. 0., when the telephonereceiver is hung upon the lever 3, weighting the outer end of said lever 3-the slide or circuit maker and breaker will b depressed against the resistance or action oi us spring. This has the effect to bring the contacts or arms 5 relatively interinediately of thetelephone-circuit wire or contacts '7, thus etfectively holding the same out of possible contact or engagement with said contacts 7 when the instrument or telephone is not in 'use.

In operating or using the instrument or tele-.

phone the push-pin 11 simultaneously with the taking of the receiver from the telephonebox in the hand is inserted into any one or more of the holes or perforations l0, according as to whether the user desires to call up one or a number of persons, and said pin pressed therein, so as to engage the coincident or opposite spring-contacts 5, the springcontacts 5 thus also having, by the upward movement of the circuit maker and breaker, been brought opposite or in alinement with said washer elongations or contacts 7. The spring-con tact as it is continued to be pressed in ward will, having its free end bent or deflected, as stated, readily spring past the contacts or washer elongations 7 and engage the boll-contact 8, and thus effect the ringing of the bell at the distant end of the line or of other telephone. The spring-contact will be held by continued pressure upon the pushpin 11 in engagement with the bell-contact 8 as long as it is desired to keep up the ringing of the bell. The bent end of the spring contact will upon removal of pressure from said push-pin spring into contact with the in ner'side of the opposite contact 7, thus establishing the telephone-circuit.

From the foregoing it will be seen that any number of circuits can be established from one upward, according to the number of persons it may be desired to call up, all with a common circuit-closer. This'enables the user of the telephone to hold conversations with any number of persons at one using of the telephone, thus avoiding -the shifting of a switch-lever each time it isdesired to call up a person, as usually practiced.

It will he noted that all the points of advantags as-claimed or set up in the outset in behalf of my invention have been fully borne out by the aforesaid construction and arrangement of parts. Notably among these is the positive and direct action of the circuit making and breaking devices, also the fact that the switch-lever is always in its initial position when the instrument is out of use, it'being thus retained by the telephone-receiver, which the user is compelled -to hang thereon the.only way of properly disposing of it, and also the fact that the circuit closer or maker and breaker is automatically moved into position when the telephone-receiver is removed from the telephone or taken in thehand for use.

It is here observed that the series of springcontacts maybe duplicated as relates to their arrangement in parallel planes, being suitably insulated one series from the other to provide for return-circuit metallicr v'ntacts.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

-1. In an electrical switch of the character described, the combination of a circuit maker and breaker comprising a spring-contact, a

circuit-wire contact, said spring-c" 'itact nor-- mally adapted to be sprung over said circuit-' wire contact and standing initially out of engagement therewith, and means to effect the subsequent engagement of said spring-contact-with said circuit-wire contact, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electrical switch of the character described, the combination of a circuit maker and breaker carrying a series of spring-contacts, a series of circuit-wire contacts, said spring-contacts normally movable in line with said circuit-wire contacts and standing initiallyontof engagement. therewith,and means to efiect the subsequent engagement'of said spring-contacts with said circuit-wire contacts, substantially as specified.

3. In an electrical switch of the character described, the combination of a circuit maker and breaker comprising a movable or sliding, bar carrying a series of spring contacts orarms extending laterally from a part common to all of said spring contacts or arms, a series of circuit-wire contacts, said spring-contacts normally movable in line with said circuitwire contacts and standing initiallyoutof engagement therewith, and means to effect the subsequent engagement of said spring-contacts with said circuit-wire contacts, substantially as described.

4. In an electrical switch of the character described, the combination of a circuit maker and breaker comprising a movable bar or slide, a forked or furcated lever adapted to be weighted at its forked or free end, a series of spring-contacts carried by said bar or slide, a series of circuit-wire contacts, said springcontacts normally movable in line with said circuit-wire contacts and standing initially out of engagement therewith, and means to eflect the subsequent engagement of said spring-contacts with said circuit-wire contacts,-substantially as set for th. 5. In an electrical switch t' the character described, the combination 0 a circuit maker and breaker comprising-a m vable or sliding" bar pivoted-or hung from a lever with its free end adapted to be weighted a nd cush'ioncd'or' upheld bya spring, a series of spring contacts.

or arms extending from a part common to all of saidspring contacts or arms, a se'ries'of circuit-wire contacts, said spring-contacts normally movable in l-inewith the circuitwire contacts, and means to effect the engagement of said spring contacts or arms, with saidcircuit-wire contacts, substantiallyjasset forth. 1 I I 6. In an electrical switch of the character described, the combination of a circuit maker and breaker comprising a series of springcontacts having bent or deflected free ends,

a series of circuit-wire contacts having washer l f elongations, said spring-contacts normally movable in line with said washer elongations and standing initially out of engagement therewith, and means to efiect the su bseqnent engagement of said spring-contacts with said washer elongations, substantially as set forth.

.7. In an electrical switch of the character described, the combination ofa circuit makerv and breaker comprising a series of spring-contacts having bent or deflected free ends, a

series of circuitwire contacts com-prising screw-bolts and washers connected up in electrical circuit, said spring-contacts normally movable in line with said washers and stand ing initially out of engagement therewith, means to effect the subsequent engagement of said springcontacts with said washers, substantially as specified.

8.. In an electrical switch of the character described, the combination of a circuit maker and breaker comprising spring-contacts having bent or deflected free ends, a bell-circuit 9 In an electrical switch of the character described, the combination of a circuit maker and breaker comprising a series of spring- I contacts having bent or deflected free ends, a series of circuit-wire contacts, said springcontacts normally movable in line with said circuit-wire contacts, a'push-pin adapted to eifect the engagement of said spring-contacts with said. circuit-wire contacts, said series of spring-contacts normally movable in line with said circuit-wire contacts, substantially as specified.

10. In an electrical switch of the character described, the combination of a circuit maker and. breaker comprising a sliding or movable bar-carrying a series of spring-contacts having bent or deflected free ends, a bell-circuit contact-plateadapted to be engaged by the angles or elbows of said bent or deflected free ends, a series of circui -wire contacts comprising circuit-connected-up screw-bolts and Washers having elongations,said spring-contacts normally movable in line with said washer elongations, and a push'pin adapted to engage and move said spring-contacts into engagement with said circuit-wire contacts and into engagement with said bell-circuit contacnplate, substantially as set forth.

Intestimony whereof I afiix my signs in presence of two witnesses. NATHAN n ssnr'I-i Witnesses:

WM, K. SHRYOCK, MILTON WOLF; 

